316 BOM JARD1M. 



Capitam-mor soon however relented, upon which 

 he was released and allowed to return home. 



At dinner the great man took the head of the 

 table, and the owner of the house stood by and 

 waited upon him. Every thing was served up 

 in enormous quantities, for the party was large, 

 and this is the custom ; there was no sort of regu- 

 larity observed ; every man helped himself to 

 the dish which pleased him best, and this was 

 oftentimes done, with the knife which the per- 

 son had been making use of upon his own plate, 

 and by reaching across two or three of his neigh- 

 bours for the purpose. A nice bit was not safe 

 even upon one's own plate, being occasionally 

 snatched up, and another less dainty given in re- 

 turn. Much wine was drank during dinner, and 

 the glasses were used in common. We soon 

 rose from table, and the party, generally speak- 

 ing, took the accustomed sesta or nap after din- 

 ner which is usual in warm climates. My friend 

 and I walked out in the afternoon, but there 

 was nothing to tempt us to go far, for the neigh- 

 bourhood possessed no natural beauty, and the 

 dry weather had burnt up the grass, and had 

 made the face of the country extremely dreary. 



Early on the morrow about forty persons sal- 

 lied forth for the village of Bom Jardim. It is 

 distant from Pindoba one league and a half. 

 We arrived there at seven o'clock. This village 

 is built in the form of a square ; the houses are 



